The present invention concerns a system and support, useful for providing a receptacle for receiving mail or other material such as newspapers and advertising papers, with a supporting post such as that for a mailbox and/or newsbox. It concerns a post support, useful for supporting a post, for example, that of the mailbox. The post may be permanently or temporarily installed in or on the ground. It can also concern the combination of the newsbox post and mailbox post supports, and/or the post support and the post. A weed control collar can be of concern as well.
Rural mailboxes are typically supported by a post, commonly, for example, a treated wooden four-by-four, which is driven into the ground alongside the roadway. A problem with the arrangement is that not uncommonly the post breaks, and to replace the post requires wrenching the broken post from the ground and replacing it with a new post in a new or reconditioned hole. This meets with varied levels of success but is always quite time consuming. The problem escalates when, as often occurs, the post is broken during a cold, snowy winter. Then too, during spring, summer and fall, grass or other vegetation grows alongside the post, and it can be aggravating to trim around the post when mowing the lawn.
Also, snow or other road damage may occur to the mailbox, especially from road plows. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 391,293; 1,004,476; 1,204,494; 2,552,915; 2,709,038; 3,107,848; 3,658,241; 4,187,978; 4,368,842; 4,995,533; 5,035,356; 5,067,650; 5,178,321; 5,356,072; 5,411,206; 5,460,326; 5,575,422; 5,984,172; 6,123,257.
Furthermore, rural newspaper delivery is often accomplished through use of a newsbox, which frequently is made of plastic and is tacked to the mailbox post, singly or in tandem if, say, different newspapers are to be delivered. Alternatively, a metal fence post having two newsboxes is driven in adjacent the mailbox. In either case, the arrangement is unsightly, and the newsboxes can be placed too low for ready delivery of the news.
It would be desirable to ameliorate or solve such problems.
The present invention provides a newsbox post support system comprising an upright newsbox support member attached to a mailbox support, to which is attached at least one newsbox. The newsbox support system can be beneficially fulfilled with a post support comprising a support body having a subsurface contact flange in connection with a post-receiving restraint. The post support is useful for mounting and supporting a post such as that of the mailbox, that of a separately mounted newsbox set and/or for other applications such as a fence, bird feeder or bird bath. In one embodiment, the post support can be permanently installed in the ground, and, in another embodiment, it can be temporarily installed on the ground. Also provided, accordingly, is the combination of the post support and the post. As well, a weed control collar is provided, which may be employed with the post.
Significantly, by the invention, problems in the art are ameliorated if not solved outright. In particular, mounting of the newsbox set, particularly when the set includes more than one newsbox, is made more pleasant, uniform, secure, and at a height conducive to more ready delivery of the newspaper, advertising sheet, or other material. Also, replacement of a broken mailbox or newsbox post can be effected with speed and efficiency, even in inclement weather. Thus, a post broken in the winter can be replaced then and there, without having to wait until the spring thaw. Numerous further advantages attend the invention.